DIET DIET DIET

Yes, the neti pot did do the trick and I find I am breathing better and as a result feeling calmer and clearer. But what I really want to share about is something much more serious.

As I think I have said before I have become a secret ted.com fan. This week on the advise of National Public Radio I checked out the new presentation by Jamie Oliver. For those of you that don't know him, he too is British. He is actually from the next county to me - Essex. He was raised in a pub that served great food. Following in his family's foot steps the BBC has made him a famous chef. I knew since he has young children himself that he was working on getting better school dinners for English kids but I did not know he now has a TV show here and is working with Mrs Obama with her work on obesity. And that is what I want to talk about.

I had no idea that two thirds of American adults and 15% of our children are obese or over weight.

That every 18 minutes 4 Americans die from a diet related disease.

That the standard American diet is thought to be shortening the life expectancy of our children by as much as 10 years.

That the top three killer diseases are diet related.

That obescity and associated health problems accounts for 10% of the national health care bill and it is projected to be double that in the next ten years.

That fewer and fewer people can actually cook and many don't have mothers or grandmothers that cook either.

Most people are surviving on industrialized food that is full of too much fat, salt, sugur and chemicals.

Most kindergarten children cannot recognise or name vegetables.

So here is the question for the spa industry. Do seriously over weight people come to the spa? If there will be more big people in future will we accomodate them with bigger tables and specialized treaments or could be become part of the cure.

This could be as simple as sharing the sats I've mentioned.

Serving fresh fruits and vegetables as snacks.

Encouraging staff to eat well.

Offering recipes or community pot lucks.

Diet is basic not only to good health but good skin. More about that next week.